RageHoundProwling the Airwaves and the Underground for the best in EDM

Posts tagged “edm”

Amidst all the outcry over ineffective security, a postponed refund, and countless other maladies plaguing the return and possible demise of Electric Zoo, dance music legend Tommie Sunshine took to Twitter to call out the ‘sting experiment’ being carried out at Electric Zoo. A full write up on Tommie’s thoughts can be found at Dance Music Northwest, and I encourage everyone to read it.

Interestingly enough, I was approached by several individuals on premises who asked for assistance in finding ‘mdma’, ‘molly’, or ‘e’ on festival grounds. In each case, the person asking was extremely direct and targeted me exclusively because of the beaded mask, kandi, and fluffies I was wearing. In each circumstance, the person or persons asking cited my appearance as the reason they chose to ask me, and once I admitted I did not have any drugs they proceeded to target another patron dressed in a similar fashion.

In each situation I decided to go a step above simply saying “no I don’t have any” or “no i don’t do that” and tried to disarm their incorrect assumption that my kandi, my mask, and my fluffies signified that I was dealing drugs. This was my response to every undercover that came my way:

“The way I am dressed does not signify that I am a drug user or dealer, and I apologize that stereotypes perpetuated by Mad Decent and HARD Summer have led you to the conclusion that kandi-wearers are drug users. I do not have any drugs of any kind for sale today, and I would encourage you to not approach other kandi-kids in regards to drugs. In my experience, it is the normally-dressed patrons that sell to others inside, not those in festive masks and outfits. It has also been my experience that the kandi-clad ravers are the first to offer water, assistance, and seek medical help for those in need in festival, club, and underground situations. I feel extremely disappointed that you would accuse me of being a criminal based exclusively on my creative expressions, and I sincerely hope you come to understand that all of us here aren’t drug addicts and deviants. We’re all patrons here to enjoy the show in our own way, and I specifically have chosen to enjoy it in an outfit that expresses my creativity; my outfit today is not an advertisement for drug solicitation, and I would highly dissuade you from purchasing anything illegal on the festival grounds. Thank you.”

How do you handle being asked for drugs at festivals? Share your responses in the comments!

Recently, I’ve picked up gloving and have found myself using the art of gloving as an escape from the daily stresses I encounter at work and elsewhere. In the daily practices of perfecting the fluidity of a finger roll to experimenting with a tech concept I see in a tutorial video, I find a quiet little LED oasis where my mind can be at peace. The process is emotional satisfying and mentally relaxing, but recently I received a highly insulting piece of feedback I felt the need to share.

Shocked? I am a little bit to be honest. So why does the often outspoken, highly opinionated man of the mau5 get a shout out in the name of PLUR? Here’s why:

Deadmau5 is a troll. I’m not debating that fact, however I’d argue that he trolls for the greater good. I’d wager that for every inflammatory insulting tweet he sends bashing those that piss on genres of music they don’t fully understand, there are many easter eggs amid his other tweets highlighting truly great music and the talent behind it. Example? When Arcade Fire threw a piss-fit over “artists playing real instruments“, Joel informed them that real music can be found in the opera. Well played sir, well played.

Why I’m choosing to highlight Mr. Zimmerman is largely because of his dedication and appreciation for music. With everyone left and right getting hopped up on “the drop” or what tracks will ‘break into the Beatport top 10″ list, Joel is giving shout outs to producers who take the time to master their craft (as well as dishing heat to those who treat music production like a cash cow). For late-to-the-party fans like myself, I find that the ‘coffee run series’ Joel hosts often contain hidden educational gems. In certain videos how makes mention of how to master an album for vinyl, how certain amps influence the final product, and has even called out mistakes made by more amateur producers and DJ’s and how to fix them. Though the man is an accomplished internet troll, he is also a representation of what every nerd wants to be growing up.

By which, I don’t mean every nerdy kid wants to grow up to be an entertainer with the kind of hype and respect that Joel Zimmerman has managed to achieve in the last few years. Put simply, seeing the kid with the spiky yellow hair and love of video games, Pokémon, and electronic music become a household name and become accomplished and successful is highly motivating. By the same token, despite Mr. Zimmerman being the ‘big deal’ that he is, its refreshing to see him give back to the community and nurture other talents looking to emerge from the woodwork and hone their craft (I’m being blunt here and referring to Mau5trap’sLe Castlevania…because I can).

The next time you see this man tweet something inflammatory (or incredible) just remember that he started out and a fun-loving nerd like the rest of us.

Here’s to you Joel 🙂

If you think you know a person, small business, performer/producer who you think should be profiled, give me ashout at ragehound@gmail.com.

Every now and again we hear about incredible patrons who stick out in the ‘EDM scene’ (most often Lady Casa comes to mind). Today I wanted to honor two people who represent the roots of the type of electronic music I started listening to and the ‘scene’ I came from before the days of daisies and ‘rave bras’.

Meet April & Ethan; two ravers who have been around for years and despite the changing fashion around them have largely stayed true to themselves and the music they love. Often found at events decked in neon, FX contacts, and what I would love to dub “high-fashion cyber” these two embody a lesser-known staple of the underground.

Nowadays, when we think of ‘rave scene’ we think tank-topped bros and daisy-bra ladies, but these two rave on as a gentle reminder of the more dark and creative subculture where older rave-kids like myself got their first taste of both music and fashion. In a time when we are so quick to piss and moan about how much is “wrong with the scene” or what is “ruining the scene”, it is refreshing to see two bright-eyed individuals who are continuing to enjoy and explore all that this scene has been and will become.

I felt it was about time to post this. I wrote a post a while back on a PLUR profile on Dirty Cat Designs.

After wearing these masks out to shows, I was getting a lot of heat for paying for them because they were considered ‘kandi’ and should have been traded. I wanted to address why I am ok with paying Dirty for such unique and high quality creations.

All images are courtesy of DirtyCatDesigns, please do not replicate any of the patterns featured without Dirty’s permission.

Starting today, I am going to be launching a little series called the ‘PLUR Profile’ which will highlight small businesses, individuals, performer/producers, or other notable members of the community who excel in their craft, give back to others, or who have shown excellence in their dedication to their customers.
It brings me great pleasure to kick of this series with none other than the infamous Dirty Cat herself,
the pony bead maestro behind some of the most daringly different kandi masks you will see on the festival circuit.

Gaining recognition initially for her original Cheshire mask, Dirty began designing unique and complex patterns as well as hand-cutting her own signature teeth. A highly flexible artist, Dirty has even created new patterns to accommodate discerning patrons who seek a more custom experience, often making the original piece A standalone design after the pattern has joined the available options. Although users must pay for Dirty’s services, the investment is justified once you consider that these masks are her sole source of income, and much of what she makes is funneled back into her high-quality faux fur, crystals, and EL wire used to make these
jaw-dropping creations.

Dirty has made many creative dreams come true, and even repairs customers masks for free should they encounter any extensive damage. She works around the clock to execute shockingly magical designs, offers her unique teeth as a separate purchase, and even creates custom teeth and accents on request… all while planning her own wedding.

Yes, she even did a My Little Pony series

Normally, I don’t contribute to ‘send me to EDC’ requests because in my experience they are used as PR stunts, are improperly executed, and lead to resentment. However, I am asking my followers & friends one very conservative request: because Dirty is looking to secure funds for both her wedding AND EDC this year, I would like to ask anyone that is willing, to give her a bit of a hand. When Dirty opens again for commissions, I am asking that anyone who orders please leave a small tip to help her reach her goal of 2 tickets to EDC for herself and her fiancee.

For those wondering, yes, Lady Dirty was the mastermind behind the patterning, execution, and fruition of the current Ragehound ‘hellhound’ style mask.

Anyone who would like to
make a more immediate impact can donate directly to Dirty by setting up a payment by visiting her website.

Dirty’s masks are incredible pieces that leave a lasting impression, and are also built to last. Sadly, Dirty is only on Instagram, but I’m sure she would love a follow and maybe a shout.

If you think you know a person, small business, performer/producer who you think should be profiled, give me a shout at ragehound@gmail.com.

If you haven’t heard about the mounting lawsuit against ‘Moose Diesel’ of Light Nightclub in Las Vegas, you need to.

You will no doubt see multiple points of view and tons of speculation….you will also see evidence surface and some very ugly truths.

At the heart of it all you will see bold-faced sexual harassment.

Because other more notable blogs have already begun to cover this story in-depth, I will be pulling from them rather than duplicating efforts. Let us begin:

“The lawsuit, filed by attorney Donald Campbell, was the result of a sexual harassment case experienced by his Jane Doe client after she applied for a table hostess position at Light this past January.”-White Raver Rafting

In clubs everywhere, you have probably seen the beautiful girls that walk your fancy bottle of booze to the table. You’ve heard they make insane amounts of money for their trouble and probably get their fair share of unwanted advances. But you’ve probably never heard this:

” In reading over these documents, it looks as if Moose Diesel wanting to get the plaintiff in bed. It details everything from being instructed to drink alcohol and take drugs with high-level employees (like Abdi and Sasson) while on the clock to the numerous sexual advances that Abdi is alleged to have made towards the plaintiff. This went from vulgar remarks and repeated suggestions for the plaintiff to touch Abdi’s genitals to forced touching of his genitals to an incident in a Light green room where Moose Diesel “forcibly attempted to perform oral sex” on the plaintiff… among other acts.” Do Androids Dance

Regardless of what you think paying customers may be entitled to, set that all aside and think about what you just read. Imagine dealing with the usual stresses of being a bottle girl coupled with your boss trying to coerce oral sex, forcing you to touch his genitals, and constantly berating you. I’ve said numerous times that slut-shaming is disgusting and wrong, so let’s analyze this:

You are expected to wear your uniform, in this case of bottle girls, it’s usually “sexy”

The whole ‘asking for it’ bullshit shovanistic argument is kind of moot point. I couldn’t tell you what the exact uniform bottle girls there wear, but knowing vegas and clubs…it was likely one that was anything but conservative. Not to mention, the only thing you should be expected to do is bring expensive alcoholic bottle from point A to point B. Maybe be nice too. That should be it. And it gets worse:

This is a snippet of some of the allegations. The full file can be found here

The big takeaway here is: this is wholly unacceptable. This is NOT ok. A female worker in any fucking field is entitled to fucking respect. That should be gospel, law, and commonplace practice.

The twitter-bound EDM community has plenty of time to kvetch and rant about drama amongst ourselves. Let’s collectively focus our attention on this abhorrence, and make sure this isn’t dismissed as the “same ol story” and put to bed behind closed doors.

What So Not

For this week’s spotlight, we’re venturing into trap territory (not bat country) with australian duo What So Not’s track ‘JAGUAR’. What really helped this track make the cut were driving vocals, and a more subtle use of signature ‘trap drops’ which is common for many of their tracks.

I’ll admit, I’m more of a newcomer when it comes to trap and am not as well versed in the finer points of what makes a distinguished piece of trap…but this I like. Much of the group’s work has a strong use of female vocals and more euphoric-influenced feel. It’s something a little different and I like it.

Before I dive right into why I like this track, I should note that this song is off the Dance (RED) Save Lives album whose proceeds benefit World AIDS Day. The original ‘There Will Be No Rain’ track was not one of my favorites from the LA group. However, Kill Paris’ treatment of the original has rendered what was an annoyance into a bass-heavy (and perhaps festival-ready) mini-anthem. The bass is tangible but not overbearing, and the well accented transitions give depth and body to a track that was a bit flimsy.

Clinton VanSciver

I’ve decided that every so often, I will call out a new track I find particularly interesting as part of a spotlight series. This week, I’ve chosen to call out Clinton VanSciver‘s remix of ‘The Irony’ by Kiven.

Distinguishing his sound as ‘dirty pop’, VanSciver takes an upbeat approach which feels reminiscent of Sub Focus‘s track ‘Endorphins’ featuring Alex Clare, but a slower pace (and with a markedly more familiar ‘pop’ sound). The track has interesting moments of syncopation, smooth injections of bass (that aren’t overbearing), and gives the modest original an entirely new attitude.